


Underwater Kiss

by Unicorn (Jensee)



Series: Tumblr Mini-fics [4]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Apathetic relation to one's own death, As One Does, Canon-Typical Violence, Depression, Juno is basically a Disney Princess in this, M/M, Near Death, Other, god Juno is depressed in this, mermaid au, very sad lady, which is really just Juno almost dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 08:22:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16489082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jensee/pseuds/Unicorn
Summary: Juno isn't too surprised about drowning in the briny depths. He is, however, rather surprised about surviving it.Pirate/Mermaid AU





	Underwater Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> I had no idea for the title, so this is the title of one of the songs from the movie The Shape of Water, which seemed like a fitting reference.
> 
> Written at the request of Chyww on tumblr, who loooooves Pirates
> 
> <3

It’s not like Juno isn’t aware that dealing with the Kanagawas, in any capacity, is a sure way to bring yourself into trouble. So he can’t exactly pretend to be surprised when he finds himself falling off the massive boat, a gnarly wound across his stomach, slowly filling the saltwater around him with a red glow.

He doesn’t quite see his life pass before his eyes then. He just thinks of Ben, and how his brother would be disappointed, that he stopped fighting, that he isn’t even trying to breach the surface, as it gets further and further away from him.

Then, everything gets dark, and Juno doesn’t think about anything anymore.

 

Which is why he is thoroughly surprised when he wakes up. It’s a slow process, slow enough that it feels more like dying all over again than escaping the jaws of death, but once his eyes are open, and his chest is rising and falling with the weight of difficult breaths, he can no longer deny it.

He’s still alive.

Juno tries and fails to have an emotional response to that. He doesn’t feel disappointed, which is somewhat of a relief, but it doesn’t trigger any kind revelation within him. It doesn’t somehow kickstart some kind will to live, to change, to progress. Well, in a way, that will is already in him, one could suppose, considering how he keeps managing to survive. But it’s far enough from the surface that it’s not really worth mentionning.

Since he’s utterly failing at stating changes internaly, he tries to assess his surroundings. He seems to be in some sort of crypt. The rocky walls of the cavern are glistening with humidity, and a faint light is being reflected from somewhere, which seems to indicate that the cave has some kind of opening to the sky. From what he can see - and in that obscurity, it isn’t much - he’s resting on an uncomfortable shore, littered with sand and small pebles. The whole makes for a ground that isn’t actually very far from being the worst place he has had to slep on.

The wound he is sporting on his stomach is still open, but it doesn’t hurt more or start bleeding profusely when he tries to sit up. The mouvement however declenches a vioent nausea and he has to curl up as he throws up what seems to be a whole liter of salt water. It burns as it goes through his throat, and he feels exhausted once it’s over, falling back down. He just needs a little break, just to rest his eyes for a few moments, and then he’ll get up, he’ll find those Kanagawas bastards and get his boat back.

 

When Juno wakes up again, he isn’t alone. His breath catches when he feels a cold hand touch him, repositioning his arm besides his body. Then something incredibly cold finds its way to his stomach, and Juno startles, betraying himself. He catches the stranger’s hands and growls out.

“Who are you?”

The stranger looks right back at him. The cave is shrouded in darkness, and Juno can’t see their features clearly, but there seem to be something wrong with them. They’re not ugly (Juno’s treacherous mind supplies that they are even beautiful) but they just seem… too sharp would probably be the way to describe it, as if their face was all straight lines and rigid planes. What there is of light projects angular shadows across their form, and gives them a strange, dark aura.

“I’m the one who saved your life, Juno. Would you mind letting go of my hand so I can keep on doing so?” Their voice is smooth, with an hit of playfulness, even maybe fondness… it’s entirely too likable for Juno’s comfort. Reluctanctly, he slowly eases his grip and the stranger resumes their ministrations. The balm they are applying to Juno’s wound is on the verge of being too cold, but it doesn’t actually hurt, so he supposes he can endure the treatment.

“How do you know my name?”

The stranger smiles, and Juno could swear their teeth gleam despite the darkness.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn’t it what they say? And the Kanagawas made a lot of enemies.”

“That doesn’t tell me how you know my name!”

“I had to make extensive research about the armada to get in. You happenned to be a perfect distraction, although I couldn’t get my hands on what I was looking for.”

The wording makes something in Juno’s head slot in place.

“You’re a thief, aren’t you.” He doesn’t bother formulating it as a question.

“My, that is a judging voice. I would tell you, I’m a gentleman before anything else. Besides, aren’t you a thief yourself? A pirate that doesn’t steal anything, now  _that_  would be a first.”

“I’m not...! I don’t…!”

“Just because you’re stealing from other thieves and people who deserve it doesn’t make you less of a thief, Juno.”

“That’s not the point! I can’t trust a stranger who…”

“Saved your life?”

The man’s little smirk as he cuts Juno’s off is the most infuriating thing he has ever had to face and it is still, somehow, attractive.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Is it a name that you want? A word by which I’m known? But I’m nobody Juno. For me to reveal my name, the only possession I truly have? _Now_ that would take a very special person.”

Juno said nothing, starring at the man and trying to decipher what he was feeling. He didn’t exactly feel unsafe in his presence, but so far the stranger had done nothing to really inspire trust, and the fact that he refused to give him his name didn’t reassure Juno.

The stranger resumed putting balm on his wound and Juno shivered. He could smell a faint scent coming from the man, the salty air of the sea mixed with some kind of fruity smell, a mix that Juno would have supposed to smell bad but that seemed to work well enough on the stranger’s skin.

“However, I’ve heard about you, Juno. Your name has traveled across the waves and… well, I do believe _you_ are, in fact, quite special.”

He looks straight at Juno then, his eyes filled with intent, and all breath leaves the pirate.

‘Don’t’ wants to say Juno. But when the thief kisses him, he can’t help but lean into it.

It’s sweet, and intense, and Juno wishes it would last for ever.  
It doesn’t.

“You are special, Juno…” the stranger whispers, “you really are. I’ll give you _one_ name : Duke. Duke Rose. I hope you’ll keep it preciously.”

“It’s not your real name.” Juno states. He feels suddenly dead tired, his body heavier than it ever felt.

“It’s not. But maybe I’ll give it to you, one day…” Duke’s voice is a velvet whisper as he straightens up and suddenly Juno can see exactly, even in the darkness, what is wrong with his body.

He doesn’t have any legs.

Rather, he has what seems to be a long appendage in the place of his legs.

“What…” Juno tries, but his tongue seems to have stopped responding, and he can barely twitch as Duke gathers him into his arms.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again, Juno Steel.”

 

Juno wakes up coughing sand. Immediatly he scouts his surrounding with his eyes. No trace of Duke anywhere. No trace of anyone, as it were. He pats himself down, and sure enough, he still has a stomach wound. It’s already halfway to being cicatrised (and Juno is grateful but he isn’t touching this with a ten foot pole) but it’s there, and confirming his suspicion… none if this was a fever dream. He thinks back to gleaming eyes and pointy teeth and Duke’s last words before his drugs kicked in.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again, Juno Steel.”

It had sounded like a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're wondering, yes, Peter totally has a sedative lip-stick to get Juno to fall asleep again, because he's a sly mofo.
> 
> I do enjoy comments if you feel like leaving them <3
> 
> You should totally check out ser_atlantisite work that they did for the penumbra secret santa: it looks incredible and I can't thank her enough!!! <3 <3 <3

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Underwater Rescue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17174009) by [ser_atlantisite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ser_atlantisite/pseuds/ser_atlantisite)




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